Machine for filling cartridge-belts



G. C. BLICKENSDERFER, DECD.

v1.1. BLICKENSDERFER AND s. s. MAPES, EXECUTORS. MACHINE FOR FILLINGCARTRIDGE BELTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6. 1917.

1,3583%, Patented Nov. 16, 1929.

{SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I II 9 i a 53 44 H 3 a e "9 L I o I G. C. BllCKENSDERFER, DECD.

w. 1. BLICKENSDERFER AND s. s. MAPES. EXECUTORS. MACHINE FOR FILLINGCARTRIDGE BELTS.

APPLICATION men an. 6. m1.

1 ,358,700. 7 Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

metres stares PATENT caries.

GEORGE c. BLICKENSDERFER, or STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT; WILLIAM J. BLICKENS-BLICKENSDERFER, DECEASED.

MACHINE FOR FILLING CARTRIDGE-BELTS.

Application filed March 6,

To all whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. BLioK- nnsannrna, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Stamford, countyof 'Fairfield, and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMachines for Filling Cartridge-Belts, fully described and represented inthe following specification and the accompanying draw ings, forming apart of the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in machines for fillingcartridge belts.

The objects of the invention are to provide durable and reliable meansfor feeding the belt, and means forsupplying cartridges to the fillingmechanism.

With these general objects in view and some others which will be obviousto those skilled in the art from the description hereinafter, theinvention consists in the features, details of construction andcombination of parts which will first be described in connection withthe accompanying. drawings and then more particularly pointed out.

In the drawings:

Figurel is a top plan view, partly in section, of a beltfilling deviceconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 21is a side elevation of the same.

Fig.3 is an end elevation.

Fig. t is a vertical cross-sectional view through the hopper.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a differentposition of the parts.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of one of the feed wheels. 7

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view through the same. and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged transverse sectional view showing theneedle-carrying members.

Referring to the drawings, which show the invention embodied'ina fillingmachine of well-known type. the machine h s'a base 10 which may besecured to a suitable table 11 or the like by screws 12. At one end ofthe base is a belt guide 13 in the form of a trough through which'thebelt A is fed in a fiat position. Associated with the trough is apivoted clip 14. which may be moved Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920. 1917. Seria1'No.152,557. I

over to cover the belt and hold it in place, as more clearly appears inFig. -1. Just be- DERFER AND STEPHEN S. MIAPES EXECUTORS OF THE \VILL OFSAID GEORGE. C.

yond the belt guide is a pair of coacting I rotatable feed wheels 15, 16having their peripheries scalloped, as at 17, to conform to the shape ofthe cartridges. One of these feed wheels, for example, the lower one 15,is arranged to be rotated or driven step by step by a' ratchet lever 18which is loosely pivoted on a pin 19 carried by the base, the leverbeing pressed by a spring-18 so that one end may engage the flanks ofthe teeth of the scalloped feed wheel 15, as more clearly appears inFig. 2. The other end of the ratchet lever 18 is forked to embrace aneccentric cam 20 mounted on anoperating shaft 21 which is rotated by asuitable crank 22 and handle 23. As the cam 20 rotates, it acts firstagainst one branch and then the other of the forked end of the ratchetlever to reciprocate the same. The down stroke of the lever causesrotation of the feed wheel 15, while on its upward stroke the lateralplay ofthe lever is such as to allow it to move outwardly in slidingover the next scalloped edge into a position for the next down stroke.Means .is provided for insuring that. the drivenfeed wheel will alwaysmake a unit advance when acted upon in the manner above described. andthat it will be held rigidly during the periods of res by means whichwill avoid any inaccuracies due to wear. Although capable of variousconstructions. the present embodiment com; prises a detent wheel 24;arranged to rotate in synchronisrn with the driven feed wheel, 15, as,for example, by securing them together.- The detent wheel 24 has spaceswide at the periphery and narrowing inward, these spaces being arrangedto receive the correspondi gly shaped to'ith 25 of a detent-lever 25having a notch 25". as shown in Fig. 3, the tooth being desi 'ne'l totit into-any scallop of. the deent wheel while the notch embraces tltepoint of such sca lop.

To hold he-detent lever 25 yieldin'rly in contact with the detent wheel21. its opposite end is acted upon by a coiled spring 26 latter is heldpositively in the desired stationary position. When the ratchet lever 18is operated to advance the feed wheel 15, the tooth 25 of the detentlever rides out of the scallop inthe detent Wheel 24 against the actionof the spring 26, thus permitting the ratchet lever 18 to move the feedwheel 15 and'detent wheel 25 until the tooth 25 of the detent leverenters the next scallop of the detent wheel, whereby the spring 26 willdrive the tooth into such scallop with sufficient force to continue therotation of the detent wheel and the connected feed wheel 15. Thiscauses the feed wheel to move forward rapidly notwithstanding the factthat the end ofthe ratchet lever itself has a slower movement due to theconnection of the ratchet lever with the rotating parts of the othermechanism. In this way, the movement of the belt is quicker at one pointthan it would be if operated only by the ratchet lever. This quick feedof the belt is such that the loop into which a cartridge has had itsnose inserted is rapidly brought into alinement with the pusher, as morefully described hereinafter. The ratchet lever 18 moves back to engagethe following tooth of the feedwheel ready for the next advance, thedetent lever holding the feed wheel against backward rotation.

1 The loosely mounted scalloped feed wheel 16 is arranged to coact withthe feed wheel 15in a yielding manner. For this purpose.

itis mounted so as to be'freely rotatable on a stud 27 carried by ahinged arm '28. In

order to hold the feed wheel 16 yieldably in "proximity to the feedwheel 15 the arm 28 carries a fiat spring 29' which is" held down whenthe belt is in place by a latch member 30pivoted to the base. WVhen thebelt loops containing cartridges, as shown, for example, in Fi 3,'arepassed between the two feed wheefi 0 loop is tightly grasped between thetwo verse serrations are provided only at the bottom portions of thespaces, so that,- while 15 and 16,- each filled these bottom portionshave serrations facing in two directions, the flanks of the teeth of thefeed wheels have serrations facing transversely only. Due to thisconstruction, the filled loops are always effectively grasped by thefeed wheels, so as to be properly fed forward upon each advance step ofthe feed wheels, and all slipping of the belt is avoided. v

Any suitable means is provided for seizingeach side of the belt loops inorder to open the loops for the reception of a cartridge. In the exampleillustrated, two needle carrying bars 33 pivoted to a plate 34arenormally pressed toward each other by a spring 35 which engages theslanting ends of the needle bars, as shown, for example, in Fig. 3. Thefront of the plate 34v is grooved centrally to receive the up turnededge of the belt guide 13 on which the plate slides. The needle bars 33extend out beyond the plate 34 and the opposing edges of their outerends are re beted to provide space for the passage of the belt.Extending into this space is a plurality of needles 36, two pairs beingshown in the present embodiment. These needles are held in suitablegrooves in the needle'bars by set screws 37 in such position that theymake a comparatively sharp angle with the plane of the belt and so thattheir points nearly meet, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3. To drivethe needles into the belt and to place the needle bars in positionto-receive a cartridge, the plate 34 is advanced relatively to the beltfor each loop presented. For'this purpose, the plate 34 has in its backface a vertical groove to receive the end of one-arm of a bell-cranklever 38 pivoted to the base, as at 39. The other end of this levercontacts with a cam 40 mounted on the operatin shaft 21. For eachrevolution of the shaft t e cam 40 rocks he bell-crank lever 38 toadvance the plate 34 far enough to drive the needles into the sides of aloop of the belt. To open the loop thus seized by the needles, theneedle bars 33 are forced apart by the entrance of a cartridge, ashereinafter described.

The invention includes means for feeding-cartridges to the-fillingmechanism and in structures embodying the invention to the bestadvantage, the cartridges are fed by means of a hopper device. In'theembodiment illustrated, a short feed chute 41 is arranged above the baseof the machine,

.charge opening in register with the feed chute. It may then be clampedin this p0" sition by means of a handle 47 on the clamp ing screw.

Cartridges are placed in quantity in the hopper 43 with their ends allpointing toward the belt. They will tend to pass one by one,ashereinafter more fully described, down'into the feed chute. A.cartridge passing through the feed chute drops to aposition alongside apivoted carrier 48 which is moved to swing the cartridge over to aposition in alinement with the belt loops.

This movement of the carrier is caused by the stroke of a pusher orslide 49 which has two shoulders 50 and 51 designed to engage a heel 52on the pivoted carrier 4c. The pusher 49 slidesin a suitable groove inthe base and is driven by a link 53 pinned to the cam 40 which, ashereinbefore described,'is rotated by the operating handle. As thepusher 49 makes its backward stroke, the shoulder 50 strikes the heel 52of the carrier and swings the latter to swing the cartridge engagedthereby over to a position in alinement with the belt loop, thecartridge during this movement pivoting against a suitable pin in theusual way. The two positions of the cartridge are shown in Figs. 4 and5. The pusher 49 also has a shoulder 54 and its back stroke, prior tothe movement of the carrier, allows the latter to place the cartridgeahead of this shoulder, so that the shoulder is able to engage the rimof the cartridge. The forward stroke of the pusher 49 carries thecartridge forward toward the needle bars 33 which have been brought intoproper alinement as bebefore described. The point of the cartridge,being thus advanced, enters suitable inclined lips 49 in the needle barsand forces the latterapart, thus separating the needles which havepenetrated the belt. This separation of the needles slightly opens thebelt loop and, upon further advance of the pusher, the cartridge ispartially inserted in this open loop. After the loop has thus beenopened the cam 40 releases the bell-crank lever 38, permitting it tomove back to its normal position under the force of a double bar spring55 which bears against it, as shown in Fig. 1. This movement of the bellcrank lever moves the draws the needles from the belt. The forwardstroke of the pusher 49 returns the carrier 48 to its normal position bybringing the shoulder 51 into contact with the heel 52. The carrier isheld at the proper limits of its stroke in either direction by a V-shaped portion of the spring 55 which bears against one side or theother'of a pointed V shoulder 56 on the carrier.

At this point,- the cartridge being partially inserted in its loop, thebelt is advanced one step, thus bringing the loop in question betweenthe feed wheels 15, 16 with the cartridge in alinement with the end ofthe pusher 49. At the next forward stroke of the pusher the end of thelatter strikes the rear end of the cartridge and drives it fully intoplace in the loop, the belt being held meanwhile firmly but yieldablybetween the two ratchet wheels. Thenext advance of the belt moves thisfilled loop out of the machine. The filled belt, as it is delivered, maybe received in a suitable receptacle.

The invention includes means for preventing the cartridges from jammingas they pass from the hopper into the feed chute, and in structuresembodying the invention to the best advantage, the cartridges in. thehopper will be intermittently displaced or lifted and pushed aside at ornear the discharge opening of the hopper bya suitable lifting meanswhich holdsback those cartridges not in proper alinement with thedischarge opening.

Although capable of various constructions, the lifting means, in thepresent embodiment, comprises a plurality of arms 57 arranged to swingin a vertical plane. In the present construction the arms are mounted ona rock-shaft 58, mounted in bearings, carried by the hopper on theoutside thereof. In the present example, two of these arms are shown,each having its outer edge curved concentric with the rockshaft 58.These arms are arranged to oscillate in the hopper, the hopper and. feedchute being slotted to accommodate them. The rock shaft 58 has aspring60 which normally holds it inthe position shown in Fig. 5. Means isprovided for intermittently rocking theshaft 58 to lift the arms upagainst the cartridges in the hopper, and in structures embodying theinvention to the best advanta e, this operation of the arms will takeplace once for each cycle of the filling mechanism. Although this may beaccomplished in various ways, in the present embodiment the slide orpusher 49 carries a rectilinear or sliding cam 61 which is wedge shaped.This sliding cam is in position to engage the outer edge of one of thelifter arms 57. When the pusher 49 is at the rear of its stroke, thepoint of the wedge shaped cam 60 engages the coacting arm57, which atthis time is in its normal or-lowermost position, as shown in Fig. 5. Asthe pusher 49 moves forward, the wedge shaped cam, sliding against thearms 57, raises the latter to the position in Fig. i, this movementbeing communicated through the rock shaft 58 to the other swinging arms57, thus lifting any cartridges which are not in alinement into thedischarge opening and preventing them from tending to jam or obstructthe downward movement of those cartridges which are properly alined. Itwill be noted that the arms 57 do not ex tend entirely across thehopper, and this arrangement coupled with the curved shape of the endsinsures'that the arms themselves will not cause a jamming of thecartridges.

The mechanism described has proved to be reliable in'operation anddurable.

A'convenient modification of the hopper construction consists inproviding the rock shaft 58 at one endwith a latch 62 secured theretoandserving to hold one end of the coiled spring 60. This latch device alsoserves to hold'theend of the top needle bar when the same is swungupward tov permit the insertion of a belt in the belt guide.

What is claimed is:

'1. In a cartridge belt filling device, the combination with means forfeeding a belt, and means for inserting cartridges in the loops of thebelt, of a hopper having a discharge opening arranged to dischargecartridges into position to be engaged by said inserting means,andcartridge lifting means movable upwardly within the hopper and nearits discharge opening and acting upon the cartridges within the hopper,said lifting means being so disposed with relation to the dischargeopening of the hopper as to leave an opening which will permit thepassage of a cartridge'in proper alinement with said opening. p

2. In a cartridge belt filling device, the combination with means forfeeding a cartridge belt and means for inserting cartridges into theloops of saidbelt, of a hopper having a discharge opening arranged todeliver cartridges singly into positionfor engagement by the insertingmeans, a plurality of swinging lifting arms movable within the hoppernear the dischargeopening and having their end cartridge engaging edgesconoentricwith their axis of movement, and means operating in timedrelation with the inserting means for swinging said arms to liftand holdthe cartridges not in alinement with the discharge opening of thehopper.

3. In a cartridge belt filling device, the combination with means forfeeding a cartridge belt and means for inserting cartridges in the loopsof said belt, of a hopper having a discharge opening arranged to delivercartridges singly into position to be 'engagedby the inserting means,a'plurality of cartridge lifting arms movable upwardly within thehopper. at one side of the discharge opening, and a slidingcam actuatedby the inserting means for operating the arms, the ends of said armsbeing so disposed with relation to the discharge opening of the hopperas to leave an opening which will permit cartridges in proper alinementtherewith to pass and will hold back cartridges not in such properalinement..

l. In a cartridge belt filling device, the combination with means forfeeding a cartridge belt and means for inserting cartridges into theloops of said belt, of a hopper having a discharge opening arranged todeliver cartridges singly into position for engagement by the insertingmeans,- ,and provided with slotsin one side "near the discharge opening,a plurality of lifting arms of a hopper having a discharge openingarranged to deliver cartridges singlyinto the path of the carrier,bearings carried by the hopper, a'shaft journaled in said bearings,'aplurality of arms fixed to the-shaft and hrranged to swing within thehopper near the discharge opening, means operating in timed relationwith the pushing; means for oscillating the shaft in one direction, anda spring for moving the shaft in the other direction.

6. Ina cartridge belt filling device, the combination, with meansforfeeding'a cartridge belt, means. for pushing cartridges into theloops of said belt, and a carrier arranged to deliver cartridges to thepushing means, of a hopper having a discharge opening arranged todeliver cartridges singly into the path of the carrier, bearingscarriedby the hopper, a shaft ,journaled in said bearings, a plurality of armsfixed to the shaft and arranged to swing within the hopper near thedischarge opening, a sliding cam operated by the pushing means andengaging one of the arms, whereby the shaft is oscillated in onedirection, and a spring for moving the shaft in the other direction. V g

7. In a cartridge beltfilling device, the combination with means forfeeding a carfridge belt and means for inserting caropening, said meansincluding a plurality of tridges into the loops of said belt, of ahopswinging arms having their end cartridge per having its dischargeopening arranged engaging edges concentric with their axis of 10 todeliver cartridges into position for enmovement.

5 gagement by the inserting means, and car- In testimony whereof I havehereunto set tridge lifting means arranged to move upmy hand. wardwithin the hopper near the discharge GEORGE BLICKENSDERFER-

